After placing dead last in the pool of eight squads at the 2018 SEC Gymnastics Championships, Auburn will look to rebound by sending a nation-high three members to the NCAA Gymnastics Championships Friday, April 20, in St. Louis.
Freshman Drew Watson and juniors Samantha Cerio and Abby Milliet will represent Auburn on all-around, bar and beams, respectively.
“It’s an honor and a real positive that this group gets to move on to the national championship,” head coach Jeff Graba said. “It’s not as fun to go without the team, but they need to go out there and make the best of it. It is always a challenge for an individual. However, I think this will really lay the foundation for next year’s team.”
First-year Tiger Watson, a native of Tyler, Texas, punched her ticket to St. Louis with a fourth-place all-around finish at the NCAA Regional in Salt Lake City, Utah, scoring a career-high 39.425. Watson also boasts the top vault score of 9.925 from the regional, which ties a career best.
“I’m really excited to represent Auburn and do my best this week,” Watson said. “Having Abby and Samantha there with me will be incredibly helpful and I’m looking forward to the experience.”
Cerio will represent the Tigers on bars for the second straight season after tying a season-high score of 9.9 at the national meet, good for a first place tie.
“I’m really honored to represent Auburn again this year,” Cerio said. “After having appendicitis in the middle of the season, it felt really good to come back and have a great showing at regionals.”
Milliet locked up a spot in Missouri with a 9.925 in Utah, tying for the top score and her career high. In Auburn's 2018 campaign, the Denton, Texas, native earned at least a share of seven titles.
“The plan is to do what I do every single day in the gym,” Milliet said. “It’ll be nice having my two teammates and we’re just going to lay it all out there.”
Watson will rotate with Alabama, Cerio with UCLA and Milliet in Nebraska, all set for the afternoon session.
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